This article identifies some critical areas regarding teacher education that need to be addressed by any institution responsible for educating teachers. The authors outline some of the paradoxical pressures that constitute the context for this crisis in teacher education and specify the kinds of basic questions that need systematic answers in…

Every student experiences feedback in different ways, and there is a real trick to knowing when no feedback is needed. Feedback of any kind can sometimes paralyze a student, interrupting the flow of his or her work. Teachers need to understand and recognize when and why this happens. The author's sketch of three goals for giving feedback in this…

Images can be powerful tools for change, but without compelling images of the future of education, everyone will be forced to use the images of the past. Schools can't be built on old images: they must reflect current best practices that infuse technology, relationships, culturally responsive texts, and cooperation and collaboration with partners…

In the not-too-distant past, using surveys to gauge public opinion was a costly and time-consuming activity that districts generally had to outsource. Today, with the advent of online survey tools such as Survey Monkey and Zoomerang and an increasingly Internet-connected society, surveys have become a useful and accessible tool for school…

Literacy or instructional coaches are becoming increasingly important in schools at all grade levels (kindergarten through grade 12). Because this is a growing professional leadership role, there is a new excitement about possible improvements to literacy instruction and increases in student achievement that may result from having formalized,…

This white paper by ICF International's Caitlin Howley discusses commonalities and differences among various understandings of readiness and highlights conceptualizations of readiness for change in selected change models. How leaders can use such theories to best to prepare their organizations--and the people enlivening them--for new ways of…

The principle purpose of this mixed methods case study was to evaluate the extent to which a wholly online continuing theological education program operated by an Association of Theological Schools accredited seminary modeled best practices of online education, as exemplified by the findings of the "Quality On the Line" study and the…

The purpose of this quantitative action research study was to examine intervention specialists' self-reported knowledge about certain evidence-based practices, implementation of practices, and how intervention specialists are learning about these practices in educating students with autism. The population of this study included 49 intervention…

Usually band, orchestra, and choir directors work independently. However, the authors--one a choral director, the other a band director--have learned that making music together makes friends. Not only can ensemble directors get along, but joint concerts may be just the way to help students see how music can reach the heart. Combined instrumental…

One of the toughest battles a music teacher can fight is the battle to stay organized. Getting organized--and staying that way--is no easy task for a busy music educator. However, for the sake of music teachers' success in the classroom, and for their sanity, organization is crucial. The author has spoken with several educators about how they keep…

In the case of higher education, the hills are more like mountains of data that "we're accumulating at a ferocious rate," according to Gerry McCartney, CIO of Purdue University (Indiana). "Every higher education institution has this data, but it just sits there like gold in the ground," complains McCartney. Big Data and the new tools people are…

In response to the diverse number of child sexual abuse (CSA) prevention programs currently implemented in school contexts, this paper examines key considerations for selecting such initiatives and the multiplicity of understandings required to inform facilitation of contextually relevant prevention curriculum. First, the paper examines concerns…

Researchers have explored the effectiveness of computer simulations for supporting science teaching and learning during the past four decades. The purpose of this paper is to provide a comprehensive, critical review of the literature on the impact of computer simulations on science teaching and learning, with the goal of summarizing what is…

Bedbugs are a growing problem in schools today. Bedbugs are often confused with other insects, and their signs are hard to recognize. School officials should work with an experienced pest control company to confirm whether the insects are bed bugs and, if they are not, to identify them so they can be treated effectively. Education and vigilance…

What does performance improvement look like in practice in today's organizations? As part of its commitment to the learning profession, the American Society for Training and Development annually judges the practices of organizations through a blind peer review process to determine what merits the best practice designation. This article contains…